1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover for reducing and/or preventing contamination in a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma display device employing such a cover for reducing and/or preventing contamination of a signal transmission unit by impurities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plasma display devices are flat panel display devices that display images using gas discharge phenomena. Plasma display devices can be made to have large thin screens with good displaying properties such as a wide viewing angle and a high image quality. Plasma display devices generally include a plasma display panel having glass substrates, and a frame that supports the plasma display panel.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a known plasma display device. The plasma display panel illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a front substrate 11, a rear substrate 12, and a thermal conductive sheet 14 attached onto a rear surface of the rear substrate 12. The frame 17, which may be made of a metal such as aluminum, supports the plasma display panel. The plasma display panel may be attached onto a front surface of the frame 17 with a dual adhesive tape 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the dual adhesive tape 13 may be provided on portions of the frame 17 and rear substrate 17 around the thermal conductive sheet 14. A printed circuit board assembly 19 may be installed on a rear surface of the frame 17. The printed circuit board assembly 19 may include a plurality of printed circuit boards 21. Printed circuit boards 21 of the printed circuit board assembly 19 may be supported away from the frame 17 by studs 16. Various electronic elements 18 may be disposed on the printed circuit boards 21 of the printed circuit board assembly 19.
Signal transmission cables 15a and 15b may respectively connect electrodes on the front substrate 11 or the rear substrate 12 to connection terminals on buffer substrates 16a and 16b. The signal transmission cables 15a and 15b may be tape carrier packages (TCPs). The signal transmission cables 15a and 15b may be connected to connectors 19a and 19b disposed on the buffer substrates 16a and 16b. Signal transmission cables 15c and connectors 19c may be used to connect the buffer substrates 16a and 16b to the printed circuit boards 21 and/or different printed circuit boards 21.
Cover plates 20 may be fixed onto upper and lower portions of the panel by screws. The cover plate 20 may include a first surface 21a and a second surface 21b to protect the signal transmission cable 15a extending along side and rear surfaces of the frame 17. When the cover plate 20 is attached to the frame 17, the signal transmission cables 15a and 15b are covered by the cover plate 20. Although FIG. 1 only illustrates cover plates 20 for the signal transmission cables 15a on the upper and lower portions if the frame 17, additional cover plates may be provided on the left and right sides of the frame 17 for the signal transmission cables 15b. 
In the plasma display device illustrated in FIG. 1, although the cover plate 20 protects the signal transmission cable 15a, it cannot prevent the impurities from inducing into the signal transmission cable 15a. That is, various impurities are generated during the plasma display device is fabricated, for example, metal impurities generated when the screw is tightened, impurities remaining on cut surface when the printed circuit board is cut, and impurities generated due to operator and fabricating environment may be induced between the signal transmission cable 15a and the cover plate 20 during the device is handled, that is, fabricated and transported. The impurities affects the performance of the signal transmission cable 15a, and thus, may cause defects of the product.